Track construction.



C. D. YOUNG. TRACK C ONSTRUCTlON.

Patented Sept. 26, L916.

CHARLES D. YQUNG, 0F ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

icense.

Specificeti of Letters Patent. P te t d Sept, 26, 1916',

Application filed July 6, 1915. SerialNo. 38,272.

useful Improvements in Track Construction,

of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to track construction and particularly to the proportioning of the splice bars. It has for its primary objects; the provision of an improved type of splice bar which shall be equal to or greater in strength than the type of splice bar now in use and much lighter in weight; and the provision of an improved type of silica bar which does not require that the opposing ends of the bar should come over and be sup ported by a pair of ties positioned for that purpose, as is necessary under the present practice, so that a great savingiof time is effected due to the fact that no care need be exercised in locating the joints at particular points with respect to the ties. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an end view of the .rail and the splice l-ars employed therewith, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rail joint, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation on a reduced scale showing the relation of the rail joints to the ties.

Heretofore it has been the practice to arrange the joints of the rails so that they always come midway between adjacent ties with the ends of the splice bars over the adjacent ties, the two splice bars thus constituting in efiect a bridge between the two ties. These splice bars as heretofore used were made relatively longer and less still or resistant to bending than the bars employed in the practiceof my invention, the ratio of the length of the bars to their lower section modulus (or to their upper sectionmodulus) being in all cases greater than two.

For example, under the old practice, with a standard 100 pound rail (100 pounds per yard), having a tie spacing of twenty inches from center to center, the splice bars usually employed, if of the plain type of uniform cross section from end to end, were 24 inches long and had a. section modulus below the neutral axis of about 7.72, and above the neutral axis of 7.28, so that the ratio of length. to section modulus was over three. With the same rail and with the Bonzano type of splice bar of non-uniform cross section, having the downward e tcnsion at its central portion, the length of bar was 26% inches, with a section modulus below the neutral axis of 9.45 and above the neutral axis of 11.73, so that the ratio of length to either section modulus wasbetween two and three.

By section modulus as above used, is meant the ratio of the moment of inertiaof the cross section to the distance of the extreme fiber of the cross section from the neutral axis, represented by the well known formula The section modulus multiplied by the stress per unit area equals the moment of bending. The section moduli thus serve as a basis of comparison of the relative degree strength of bars of varying cross sec-' tions. As the lower parts of rail and splice bar sections are subject to tensional strains, and yield more readily to stress than the upper portions which are under compression, the lower section moduli form a better basis of comparison in considering the stiffness of various bars than the upper section moduli.

l have found that if a proper attachment is made between the rails and splice bars,

the length of the splice bars can be very materially reduced Without in the least decreasing the resistance of the rail to bending at the oint, and without decreasing the strength of the joint. Also that if the bars be of proper stillness, the joints can be lo cated without regard to the location of the ties, it being entirely unnecessary that the bars be supported at the ends upon adjacent ties. For instance with the 100 pound standard rail I can use a plain splice bar only 15 inches long instead of 24 inches, having a lower section modulus of 12.5 and an upper section modulus of 9.19, so that theratio of length to lower section modulus is only about 1.2 instead of between two and four as in the old practice. This means that I can secure a joint of the same or greater strength than that of the old practice and of much less weighlnand a oint which can be used without regard to the location of the ties, thus involving a great saving of time in laying and relaying the-track.

Referring to the drawings: 1 is the rail; 2 are the splice bars; 3 are the bolt holes; and 5 are the ties. The rail illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is a standard'lOO pound rail, drawn half size, az-mindicating the neutral axis of the cross section of the rail and y.y thatof the splice bars. The proportions of the cross sections of the rail and splice-ha are accurately shown in Fig. l, which is the preferred embodiment of myinvention as proportions of the splice bars, The exact dimensions of the particular embodiment illustrated are set forth below It will be notedfrom. Fig. 3 that the joints of the rail are located without regard to the spacing of the ties, and that the length of the splice bars, 15 inches, is less than the spacing of the ties from center, to center, 20 inches, thus diilering from theold practice in which the length of the splice bars was always greater than the distance between tie centers, the length of the bars running'i'rom :24 inches up.

Following is a table showing the relation of my splice bars to those commonly employed heretofore with a pound rail.

1 Seetlon-modu us Ratio of 7 T T M l'epgth w Wetlght Above Below ow-er W0 neutral neutral fifig axis. axis.

Bonzano 11.7'3 9.45 25.5 2.8 74.5 lbs i 9-19 12.5 15.0 1.2 55.0 Plain (piltd type) 7.28 7.72 24.0 3.1 68.34 100 ll). ll 13.71 15.91 .s

From the foregoing it will be seen that the proportions of my splice bars are radically difi'eren't from those heretofore used a'nd that a great saving in weight is achieved. My bars are so much shorter and have so much largerlower section moduli that the ratio of length to the lower section modulus is'only 1.2 as compared with 2.8 and 3.1 of the old type bars. The length of my bars is only a little over two and one-half times the height of the rail, while with the old type the length of bars was between four and five times the height of the rail. Another noticeable distinction is in the ratio of the lower section modulus of the bars to that of the rail. The combined lower section. moduli of my bars is 25 (2x12.5) which is over one and'onc-half times the lower section modulus of the rail,

while with the other types, the combined lower section moduli of the bars is only equal to or slightly greater than tha t'ofthe rail. The relatively large lower section. modulus flanges t which also give the. bars great bars is largely due to this cause, incident to the wedging efi'ect exerted on the bars-by the rails when the rails are bent downwardi What I claim is: Y 1. The combination with a track con1pri's ing railsplaced end. to' end and ties extend. ing transversely of the rails, with the Joints between the rails located. without regard to the positions of the ties, of pairs of splice bars bolted to the opposite sides of the rails of uniform cross section from end to end and lying entirely above the ties, the length" of the bars being substantially no greater than. the average spacing of the ties from center to center, and having a combined section modulus below their neutral axes at least one and one-third times the section modulus of the rails below their neutral 2. The combination with a track com.pris-- ing rails placed end to end and ties extend 1 ing transversely of the rails, witl ithe joints between the rails located without regard to the positions of the ties, of pairsof splice bars bolted to the opposite sides of the rails of uniform cross section from end to end and lying entirely above the ties, the length of the bars being between'two (2) and three and one-half (3%) times the height of the rail and having a combined section modulus below their. neutral axes at least one and one-third times thesection modulus of the rails below their neutral axes.

The combinationawith a track comiprising rails placed end to end and ties extend-r ing transversely of the rails, with the joints between the rails located without regardi to the position of the ties, of pairs of splice bars bolted to the opposite sides of the rails of uniform cross section and lying entirely above the ties, the said bars having a length in inches less than twice the section modulus of one of the bars below its neutral axis, and

having a combined section modulus below their neutral axes at least one and one-third times the section modulus of the rails below their neutral axes.

4. The combination withi a track comprising rails placed end to end and ties extending transversely of the rails, with the-joints 1 between the rails located without regard to the positions of the ties and lying entirely above the ties, of pairs ofsplice bars bolted:

. tral axes,

tlireeand one-half (3%) times the height of the'rails and in which the'combined section modulus of the two bars below their neutral axes is at least one'and one-third times the section modulus of the rails below their neu- 5. In'ooinbinationwith a rails, of. a'connection there or comprising a pair of splice bars'rigidlysecured to oppo- Site sides :Qf the rails and lying abovevthe In combination with a pair of abuttingrails, of a connectlon thereforcomprising a pair of splice bars of substantially uniform cross section rlgidlysecured to oppoair. of abutting" of one site sides of the rails and lying above the I plane of the bottom surface of the rails,

and having a length in inches which is less than twice the' maximum section modulus of one of the bars.

7. In combination with a pair of abutting rails, of a connection therefor comprising a pair of splice bars rigidly secured to 0ppo-' site sides of the rails, and having a length in inches which is less than twice themaxi mum section modulus of one ofthe bars, the length of the bars being between two (2) and three and one-half (3%) times" the height of the rails; and having a combined maximum section modulus at least one and one-third times the maximum sect on modulus of the rails.

7 CHARLES .YUUNG; 

